Steerable endoscope and improved method of insertion

摘要

A steerable endoscope has an elongated body with a selectively steerable distal portion and an automatically controlled proximal portion. The endoscope body is inserted into a patient and the selectively steerable distal portion is used to select a desired path within the patient's body. When the endoscope body is advanced, an electronic motion controller operates the automatically controlled proximal portion to assume the selected curve of the selectively steerable distal portion. Another desired path is selected with the selectively steerable distal portion and the endoscope body is advanced again. As the endoscope body is further advanced, the selected curves propagate proximally along the endoscope body, and when the endoscope body is withdrawn proximally, the selected curves propagate distally along the endoscope body. This creates a serpentine motion in the endoscope body that allows it to negotiate tortuous curves along a desired path through, around, and between organs within the body.

主权项

1. A system for controlling movement of a steerable instrument along a path, comprising:
a flexible and steerable instrument; an electronic memory comprising a stored three-dimensional model, wherein the three-dimensional model is generated based on signals from the instrument as it traverses along the path; and an electronic motion controller logically coupled to the electronic memory, wherein the electronic motion controller is configured to automatically control the instrument to traverse the path based on the three-dimensional model.